Snap-switch.



' J. A. YORK.

SNAP SWITCH.

APPLICATION rum) Ammz, 1907.

9 3734! Patented Jan 17,1911;

52 INVENTORQ Z, LIZ/721 4. York,

BY 5 I I I v TORNEY. A

v sense.

lJNlTED STATES rn rnn'r oru on.

3;"@HN.A. YORK, 01 HARTFORD, COLlNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO. GENERALELECTRICv COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW'YORK. 7

SNAP-SWITCH.

Application filed August 12, 1907. Serial No. 388,072.

fil'laullwftozwt it may concern known that I, JOHN A. Yoiuna citizenofthe United stntes and a resident of llerti'ordpih the cotuity ofHartford and Shite of Connecticut, have invented a new and ImprovedSnap-Switch, of which the followiugis nspecification.

My inventioni'elutcs to the class of devices usedfoi1cont rolli11g thetlow of a current of electricity by completing and, breaking thecircuit; and the object of my invention is to provide a device of thisclass that shall be extremely simple in construction tiiid operation,comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and especially one in Whichtheaction shall be sharp, decisive a'nd positivcl'y determined. A form ofdevice in the. use of which these objects maybe attained is illustratedin the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 IS a top or plan view ofa snap switchcn'ihodyingmy invention. on plane denoted by dotted line1-1 in Fig. 2. Fi

2 is a longitudinal section through the-device on plane denoted bydotted line 22- in Fig. 1. Fig. 13 is a bottom view of the parts,- withthe base and stationary contactsrcmoved. Fig. 4.- is a lilreview butshowing the trip in position just previous to disengagement from thecatch plute. Fig. '5 is a view similar to lii 3 but showing the parts inan ztdvnnccd position "from that shown in Figs. 3 and a Fig. 6 is :1sectional view on plane denoted hv line 6--6 of Fig. 2, looking tron:t-hebottom, and showing the tripplste and coupler in positioncorresponding to Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is 3 view similar to Fig. 6 hut withtheparts in position corresponding to Fig. i. Fig. 8 is a View similarto Fig.6 but with the parts in the same position as shown in Fig. Fig. 9is a top view showing a modified form of the invention.

In the accompanying drmvings the numeral- 10 denotes a base which may bemade in uny suitable. torn and of any desired insulating 1 stcrisl Thisbase has a central opening "it formed. more especially for conveniencein ZISSGD'lldlIU" the parts. and has on its upper surface a recess 1.2within which :1 portion oi the operative parts of the structure arelocated. ,itationary contacts 13 of any suitable form and constructionare secured to tl' dotted line l lg. 2) may be employed for and a cover14: (shown in I A catch plate 15 is located within the recess 12 andoverlying the opening ll eu'rs 16. provided with screw holesextendingft'roin thecatch plate, serving as a means of securing theplate in position, as by nieztns of Specification of Letters PatentPatented Jail} 1'7, 1911... I

screws inserted through said holes. Catches the catch plate "in anysuitable manner, as shown herein a Washer 19 underlying the enlarged endof the spindle serving this purpose,

catches 17 to limit the movement of the parts. This trip plate hasguides 22, preflninating in the movable contacts 24 which are adapted topass between spring fingers 25 constituting parts of thefixed contacts.This switch bar is of U-shape, asshownxin Fig. 9., and one end 27 of aspring 26 presses is located in a recess in the key A. coupler opening30 is formed .in the trip plate 20. this QIM-llllllfj hating stopslmulders 31, .l.lu1 opening 30 lms its two. opposing edges formed onthe urcsoi conthe coupler. being of 1lO11,(;l1.CL1ltl1 form incross-section. As shown herein this section of the spindle is square.

It will be noted that the end 36 of the coupler is 0th width to occupyhalf of the smaller are 33, so that as turning movement is applied tothe spindle in the direction of thecurved arrow a, force will beimparted through the coupler to the trip plate 20 to move the latter inthe direction of the straight arrows shown in the figures. The truecenter of the coupler will move with the trip plate in a right line, andthe slot or shoulders 17 are foruiedupon'the catch; pl-ateior a purposeto be hereinafter dc-c scribed. A spindle 18 is rotatably held in erablyextending-along its edges and .betweenwhich is located a switch bar 23terccntric circles. the larger t re-32 being joined us tothnt part atleast projecting through in the coupler allows the latter to movelat- Atrip plate 20 is mounted for rotation with the spindle and has on itsunder surf-ace a trip 21 cooperating with t-lieshoulders or againstcneof the branches of the switch; bar while the opposite end 28 of saidspring orally oi the spindle to permit sliding1novement of the tripplate, which is guided in its.

movements by reason of the engagement of the lips 22 with the switch bar23.

In the operation of the device, the parts being in theposition shown inF igs; 1, 2, f5,

and 6, and force being appliedto the key;

to turn the spindle in the direction shown by the curved arrows, tensionis placed uponthe spring tending to rotate the switch bar. The latteris, however, held by the tripplate which in turn is held from turningmovement by engagement of its trip 21 with the stop shoulders or catches17 on the catch plate. The force, however, applied through the couplertothe trip plate moves. it in the direction of the straight arrow in-thefig ures fr0m-the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, a 3, and 6 to theposition shown in Figs. at and 7, when the trip is just ready todisengage [from the stop shoulder. A slight further movernent'disengagesthe trip, when the trip plate and switch bar are quickly thrown by thespring 26 into position shown in Figs.

5' and 8,. the contacts 24on the switch bar' being quickly ,thrown fromengagement with the fingers 25. Upon applying force 'to the key in thesame direction the action will be repeated and the contacts upon theswitch bar quickly thrown into engagement with the contact fingersforniingpart of the stationary contacts 13.

In the form. of the device shown in Fig. 9 the coupler 3" is pivot-allyattached to the catch plate 38, the force transmitted to thecouplerthrough the spindle being imparted to the trip slide through thepivot 39, which moves in a right line, as denoted by the straight arrow7), the operation of the parts being practically the same as abovedescribed and the .coupler being slotted to permit the action of theparts.

It will be noted that-the slot in the coupler affords a. means forloosely connecting it With the spindle, the latter and the kcybeing theprime operating nieans for the switch.

Iclaim- 1. A base having contacts and a catch secured thereto, a tripcoiiperating with said catch, a switch 'bar connected to said trip,a:.sp1ndlc non-circular in cross section,

means for operating the spindle, a coupler slldably connected to saidspindle and to said trip, and means for imparting rotary movement to thetrip.

2. Aba'se haying contacts, a catch-securedto the base, a tripcooperating with SZUCl' catch, a switch bar connected *ith the trip andh'aving contacts, means for imparting rotary movement to the switch bar,a S-Pilb dle non-circular cross-section with means for operating it, anda coupler operatively connected with the trip and-having a; slottoslidably' receive said spindle.

Crl

til)

. A base having contacts, a catch secured.

to thebase, .a-tripplatehaving amp for said catch, a switch bar. havingcontacts and forini-ng a guide for'the trip plate, means for rotatingthe trip plate, a spindle of noncircular rennin cross-section, means foroperating the-spindle. and a coupler ha\' "ing a slot to slidablyreceive said spindle and in engagement with the trip plate.

4. A. base having contacts, a catch secured to the base, a trip platehaving a coupleropening and a trip to cooperate with said catch,111eansfor rotatmg'the trip, a spindle of non-circular form 'in.cross-section, 'a

coupler fittingsaid coupler opening and having a slot to shdably receivesa d spindle, and a switch bar operatively connected with the trip andharing'contacts.

A base having contacts, a catch secured thereto, a trip plate having atripcooperat ingwwith the catch and provided with a coupler openinghaving opposite edges formed-on arcs of concentric circles. means forrotating the trip, a switch bar forming i a guide for the trip plate andhaving ccn-

